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The Buffalo Sabres have a real shot to grow rivalries if they compete again

With the Sabres back in playoff contention, their rivalries will be back in full swing.
BySpencer Lazary|
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Mar 14, 2026; Buffalo, New York, USA; Buffalo Sabres center Sam Carrick (10) and Toronto Maple Leafs center John Tavares (91) take a face-off during the first period at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images
Mar 14, 2026; Buffalo, New York, USA; Buffalo Sabres center Sam Carrick (10) and Toronto Maple Leafs center John Tavares (91) take a face-off during the first period at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Buffalo Sabres accomplished something that they hadn’t done in 14 seasons. They made the playoffs and won a round against the Boston Bruins before losing in seven games against the Montreal Canadiens. One of the most exciting takeaways from them getting back to the playoffs, especially for the fans, is the rivalries that come with it. 

The Sabres have now proven they can compete with the best teams in the Atlantic and the rest of the divisions around the league. Which typically makes for very fun rivalry games, especially down the stretch heading into the playoffs. But who could some of the Sabres’ rivals be? Well, let’s take a closer look.

Sabres' rivalries are ready to ignite

Arguably their biggest rival coming out of last season is with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Fighting tooth and nail for the Atlantic crown down the stretch created plenty of bad blood. Down the stretch, there were games where they had full line brawls due to the intensity. Rasmus Dahlin was subject to a lot of the physical play. Ultimately, they never met in the playoffs; however, if they did, this rivalry would have hit another level.

Beyond Tampa, the Sabres will have no problem re-igniting their previous rivalries with the Canadiens and Bruins. As mentioned before, these are the two teams that they played in the playoffs back in April. And typically, playoff hockey ignites rivalries, which isn’t hard considering they’ve had hatred for one another before. 

Then, of course, there is the big one: the QEW rivalry with the Toronto Maple Leafs. For decades, Maple Leafs fans taking over KeyBank Center felt like an annual reality because the games rarely mattered in the standings. The geographic proximity and cross-border fan tension have added a huge piece to the rivalry. The only thing it needs now to truly re-engage the fan base is a mean playoff series.

Outside of that, there will be teams in the Metro Division that the Sabres have rivalries with. The other two teams in New York, the New York Islanders and Rangers, will likely be the biggest two.

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